Joachim, Joseph. (1831-1907) : Autograph Letter about Bow Technique VIOLINIST

Joachim, Joseph. (1831-1907) Autograph Letter about Bow Technique An interesting autograph letter from the great Hungarian violinist, dedicatee of the Brahms, Dvorak and Bruch Concertos and many other works. 1 page, in English, dated Berlin, May 14th [no year]. In full: "Dear Sir, I don't think I ever touch the hair of the bow with my thumb; it perhaps depends on the length of the thumb if people do or not. If in your case it causes a 'certain stiffness in the hand', then don't by any means. Ease of bowing is the thing to attain." In fine condition. 4.75 x 7.5 in (13 x 20 cm). Of great significance, this is the only Joachim letter we have handled in which the great violinist explicitly discusses matters of violin technique. Karl Courvoisier, a student of Joachim, tell us in the "The Technique of Violin Playing, presenting a set of comprehensive violin instructions as pursued by Joachim himself, that he recommended for the thumb to be placed inside the frog, and if the gap is too narrow, to remove the corners as much as necessary. Then, the nail of the thumb should rest against the metal ferrule. Carl Flesch tells us in his Memoirs how Joseph Joachim held his bow: "By the fingertips, the index finger touched the stick at the line of the top joint, while the little finger remained on the stick even at the point." As a result, "the change of bow at the frog was accomplished with stiff fingers by means of a combined movement, very difficult to describe, consisting of a horizontal jerk of the wrist and a slightly rotating movement of the forearm." That this stance was uncomfortable and must have caused tendonitis in some followers is evident. Schubertiade Music & Arts LLC - BUY WITH CONFIDENCE! ***ALL AUTOGRAPHS GUARANTEED AUTHENTIC WITHOUT LIMIT*** I was the President of the Professional Autograph Dealers Association from 2013-2018 and a leading and trusted authenticator of autographs, including for many of the world's auction houses and for James Spence (JSA). Schubertiade Music & Arts are also members in good standing of ABAA/ILAB, the most exclusive consortium of Rare Book and Manuscript Dealers in the world, as well as the MLA (Music Librarian Association), and MARIAB (Massachusetts and Rhode Island Antiquarian Booksellers). You can read more about us by searching for Schubertiade Music & Arts and may buy with utmost confidence! SCHUBERTIADE MUSIC & ARTS deals in Music, Entertainment, Literary and other Autographs, Antiquarian Music, Books, Prints, Photographs & Paintings and Ephemera. Please read more about us in our "about me" page by clicking next to our username / feedback listing. We issue seasonal and occasional catalogues - please contact us if you would like to receive notifications or let us know about your collection. Everything we offer is guaranteed authentic without limit and is so stated on the signed and detailed receipt which comes with every item. Because this Guarantee is attached to an actual and meaningful money-back guarantee (see our Terms for further details), this is much more significant than most COAs which are generally but worthless pieces of paper if not issued by recognized experts in the field and backed by a real authenticity return policy. We accept payment by ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS, Check, and by Paypal. Shipping Charges are as listed and are not subject to negotiation. We will of course be happy to combine shipments and do NOT charge multiple shipping charges except for large/heavy items which naturally affect the cost. We ship exclusively via insured FedEx and pride ourselves on our thorough and expert packaging.

Of great significance, this is the only Joachim letter we have handled in which the great violinist explicitly discusses matters of violin technique. Karl Courvoisier, a student of Joachim, tell us in the "The Technique of Violin Playing, presenting a set of comprehensive violin instructions as pursued by Joachim himself, that he recommended for the thumb to be placed inside the frog, and if the gap is too narrow, to remove the corners as much as necessary. Then, the nail of the thumb should rest against the metal ferrule. Carl Flesch tells us in his Memoirs how Joseph Joachim held his bow: "By the fingertips, the index finger touched the stick at the line of the top joint, while the little finger remained on the stick even at the point." As a result, "the change of bow at the frog was accomplished with stiff fingers by means of a combined movement, very difficult to describe, consisting of a horizontal jerk of the wrist and a slightly rotating movement of the forearm." That this stance was uncomfortable and must have causéd tendonitis in some followers is evident.